"Too [Adjective] To [Verb]"
To describe a condition that prevents an action from happening—such as being "too tired to wash" or a price being "too high to buy"—Finnish uses the word liian (too) with an adjective, followed by a special verb construction.
The "-kse-" Construction
To build the "to [verb]" part of the sentence, start with the dictionary form of the verb (the 1st infinitive). Add the marker -kse-, and attach a possessive suffix to the end.
The possessive suffix is crucial because it tells us who is supposed to perform the action.
Here is how the pattern looks with the verb pestä (to wash):
| Person | Possessive Suffix | Verb Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| minä | -ni | pestäkseni | for me to wash |
| sinä | -si | pestäksesi | for you to wash |
| hän / se | -en | pestäkseen | for him/her/it to wash |
| me | -mme | pestäksemme | for us to wash |
| te | -nne | pestäksenne | for you all to wash |
| he / ne | -en | pestäkseen | for them to wash |
If the main subject of the sentence is also the one doing the action, the suffix simply matches the subject.
| This shirt is too stained to be acceptable. | Tämä paita on liian tahrainen kelvatakseen. |
| You are too tired to wash this shabby rag. | Olet liian väsynyt pestäksesi tämän nuhjuisen lumpun. |
When the Doer Changes
Often, the thing being described isn't the one performing the action. In English, we usually add a phrase to explain who the doer is, like "The sofa is too heavy for us to carry."
In Finnish, no extra words are needed! You just attach the possessive suffix of the person performing the action directly to the verb.
| The used sofa was too heavy for us to carry to the recycling center. | Käytetty sohva oli liian painava kantaaksemme sen kierrätyskeskukseen. |
| The asking price is too high for me to buy it. | Pyyntihinta on liian korkea ostaakseni sen. |
| The old sofa is too heavy for me to take to the landfill. | Vanha sohva on liian painava viedäkseni sen kaatopaikalle. |